Pillars of Glass Read online

  Pillars of Glass

  by Michael Polaski

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2014

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Part I: Offertorium

  Part II: Ides of War

  Part III: Dies Irae

  Prologue

  In a time long before our present day, humanity broke bread together in a peaceful manner. They laughed and learned with one another as one family. Every day they would do the normal jobs and duties that any village would. They divided the work amongst themselves to those best suited for each individual job. Some would farm and hunt, while others made bread and clothing. At night they would sit together around fires, feasting and learning from one another. Each man, woman, and child had a duty and as long as everyone did their duty within this utopia, everyone was able to take care of another.

  As time passed the community grew larger and more abundant than ever. Many hands made light the work, so light in fact that in some places, there was less work to be done than in others. Slowly the work became so little that people felt as though some of their brethren did not deserve the compensation they were receiving. Men would work a few hours or minutes in some case and still be served the same meal as those that had spent their entire days hunting or over a crucible, forging a few pieces of steel. The cheer that for so many nights had become a tradition slowly became envy. The songs and dance around the burning yule log, gave way to whispers within each flicker of ash as it was spewed from the fire.

  When some would lay their heads for the night, they dreamed of how different, simple and easy their lives would be if they had a different duty. In the mornings after arriving on site, Groups would discuss why they were chosen for such jobs and others weren’t. Why some families seemed to prosper, and why old men could dictate to the youth why and how they will live out their days. Eventually the whispers became casual conversation in the most common of place, and as the companionship slowly broke down. Decent rose through out the land.

  Those who felt they deserved more took what they wanted from those who had less, making groups band together and ask for help from others. Hunters would be asked to take from bakers to help feed the families of farmers and would be given some of the bounty for their help. Seamstresses would find their works in the morning torn to tatters due to the work of jealous wives. The acts slowly increased in nature of heinousness, but nothing could prepare for the violence that was soon to come.

  Homes were burnt to the ground, sometimes with families still in their sleep. Cattle were slaughtered and left to rot over night. The arms and legs of carpenters and blacksmiths damaged by those jealous of them. In a history of no central ruler, anarchy now took a throne.

  In an act of desperation, the elders convened to try and find a solution to all the issues that arose so violent and quick. Their talks were long and difficult and they grew more distraught with each passing day for they knew every night that passes, meant more violence to the people, and families they were meant to care for.

  Finally it was decided that a select group of men and women would leave and head east across the straight to the unknown world. There they would be tasked with creating another community much like the elders had in the beginning, and generations down the road they would be asked to select members of that tribe to create their own and so on until the end of time.

  In the selection of these pilgrims, the elders did what they could to leave whole families in tact. They did not know how long it would be before everyone was reunited, but never the less, some families were severed and asked to do this for the greater good of humanity.

  The straight was only a mile across however; it was unexplored country on the far bank. Stories of spirits had kept it unexplored until the day humanity set sail for it. The new colony was named Anderson’s Hill, after the family that first volunteered to settle there among the hills. For the next three hundred years the two civilizations began to flourish and exist peacefully with one another, still separated by the water way.

  Eventually, they had decided that the waters should not be the only thing stopping them from allowing travel back and forth, and the two sides began construction on bridges to bring the two landmasses together. After these were constructed, people from both nations crossed freely as though they were walking back and forth between two different worlds whenever they pleased, in effect tearing down and barrier between the two and allowing for not only the people, but ideas and dreams to flourish as a singular community once again.

  However, these two nations were still defined as separate names instead of a consolidated world. This brought unrest to a small faction that wanted a utopia. Elders from both nations agreed to meet and try and bring the two worlds back together. The bureaucracy never gained footing and lead to an even greater unrest as neither side really wished to give up their independence. With all diplomatic motions going nowhere, a small group from Anderhill, quickly prayed on the unrest of the city. Upset with their original exile, the young men of the nation of Valhari suggested that they force the Mispellem nation into compliance by crossing the straight and taking the city where legend said their species began, the City of Aurorae.

  A solemnly bleak sentiment began to grow as the councils could not find a way to resolve their differences, the movement grew until one night skiffs loaded with weapons and men sailed across the straight and waited till dawn before they started the engagement. The men quickly captured the families of the council members who were at the summit in a gambit to force them into cooperation with the elders from Valhari. After a few days of chaos and pleading, the two sides came to agree on one governing body, quickly establishing: currency, education, transportation by the use of railways, fairies, and a tunnel for traffic under the Straight. But one of the most important acts was a united center for arts and culture, finally letting the two nations express themselves in one equal domain.

  The congress was made of fifty total representatives. Twenty-two were elected from each nation with the remaining six, being representatives of a newly established independent nation south of the two main lands for those who wanted to live without technology and create their own more primitive culture. The Unified World had been created.

  One of the first acts was the creation of two grand bridges, created from pure quartz found in the northern mountains of each nation. The northern bridge linked the cities of Anderhil and Aurorae by use of a major highway. While the other further south between the southern deserts of each nation, allowing an easy trade route for the farmers in the arid lands.

  Secondly, each island dismantled any attempt at creating their own military and instead, established a school where every year students from any of the nations could submit an application to be educated and be upon graduation, be part of a select military force that would help insure the security of the united world. These Watchers would be tasked with putting down any insurrection or peacefully letting the people assemble to be heard by the congress. Their Oath would make them place the civilian before themselves, and the security of the United Congress, before their own. The area between the two bridges and the independent nation to the south were called by the United Congress to be demilitarized zones, in which no weapons or soldiers were allowed, except when under special request by the Congress. The corridor was named the United Promenade and in the middle on the island of Nicaea, the Congress built its pantheon, and assembled at least once every week to discuss the well being of the unified state. The island was only accessible by ferry, and on a clear day on the edge of the horizon, the glistening of each pi
llar could be seen from the top of the congressional building.

  The two great bridges were symbolic to the people. They were pillars that held up a peaceful resolution to all issues, they were the foundation for the utopia, these Pillars of Glass.

  Part I: Offertorium

  “Even Hell has its hero’s correct Mr. Ehlinger?”

  The pupil looked up at the sound of his name and was met with the gaze of his fellow classmates. There was a shallow hum of the space heater in the corner of the classroom, the only noise aside from a nervous stir of one of his few friends that had Strategies and Tactics with him that quarter. The eighteen-year-old male felt the blank stairs reflecting in his blue eyes. With a deep breath, he swallowed nervously before he spoke, searching for that last answer somewhere deep within him, but all he found was wonder. What was the question again? He had been caught looking out the window again at the winter desert. “How long have I been distracted?” he thought. Another quiet moment passed with all eyes on him as he finally spoke.

  “Well sir, uh. A hero is deemed so by the men he stands with in combat not those who write his accounts in the third.”

  Where the hell did that come from?

  The instructor smiled to rebut his pupil. “So who would be the men that fought alongside daemons?”

  The volley had been returned.

  “Any traitor, evil man, or coward I would assume…” He took a deep breath, “Although it poses the question of how can one man be a hero to one and a coward to another. So it must mean that everyone has the potential to be a hero, but only the ones who fight with you, not potential, can deem you so.”

  Alexander Ehlinger tapped his foot inside his issued boots to make sure he in fact wasn’t dreaming. His instructor’s smile kept on and Alex prepared himself for another wave.

  “Those qualities are subject to judgment, not absolute truth, one man’s Traitor is another’s Patriot. However,” he placed the whiteboard marker to his lips and then set it quietly on the oak desk in front of him, “However so is the dualistic concepts of good and evil and morality. So it is ones morality that defines who should be a hero and the faith in judgment of a ‘Just’ God to say who deserves to go where correct?”

  The horn sounded, 1300. Time for chow and then rotation four, Weapons and Practical Applications. Everyone gathered their notepads and packed them into their issued packs as they marched out the door. The Instructor pulled Alexander to the side and waited for the room to clear before engaging in conversation.

  “How is your brother adjusting to his time here?”

  “Fine sir, he has several friends now and they enjoy his jokes.”

  The instructor sat on his desk and looked at the trainee. “Well then what is it that has you distracted in my classroom?” he paused to take a deep breath, “You have the potential to be an outstanding field commander in the Watch. Your test scores are top, and from what I hear you have the ability to question the situation and assert yourself without pause in all simulations.” He scratched his semi-balding head and sighed. “Yet you have no desire to become your squads leader. You son have an extraordinary talent that not everyone is blessed with. You can command.”

  The student looked at the stars on the shoulder of his teacher, then refixed his gaze at the man in front of him. “Sir, the burden of command is not one I wish to shoulder as eloquently as you have.”

  The instructor laughed and put his hands on the boys shoulder. “You’re one hell of a young man Alex and one day will be commended for it.”

  “Only if my Brothers deem me to be a hero, Sir.”

  He smiled again, “I’m sure you won’t disappoint, now get to chow I’ve already taken too much of your day.”

  “Thank you sir.” Alex saluted and was dismissed.

  The rest of the day went fairly normal for Alex as he finished class at 1600. While he was leaving the main campus, another one of his instructors met him for a brief chat.

  “Alex, Mr. Tillery would like to see you on the firing range. He said if you couldn’t make it he would understand.”

  “Thank you Ma’am, I will head that way as soon as I can drop off my books in my room.”

  “I will relay the message to him, but hurry, he is expecting you around 1630.” The teacher nodded and continued on her way. Alex picked up his pace to his room, quickly dropped off his books on his desk and turned back around heading to the firing range.

  Mr. Tillery was one of the most respected and well regarded teachers at the academy and any extra tutelage under him was considered a large honor as he only met with the brightest of students. Knowing this, Alex managed to arrive at the firing rang at 1628 and looked for his instructor. He couldn’t see him but knew that it was nothing new for Mr. Tillery to never be early, but exactly on time, down to the second. Alex took a seat and began to catch his breath. He knew he would need to be able to breathe regularly if they were shooting anything. Taking a few deep breaths he was able to start lowering his pulse and return his breathing to a regular rate.

  The exact moment the range clock showed 1630, Mr. Tillery came out of the over watch tower with two M24 rifles.

  “Alex, glad to see our discussion this morning didn’t scare you off.”

  “No sir, to be honest, I wasn’t paying much attention this morning in class.”

  “Oh that’s alright, I knew you weren’t and that class is fairly boring to me anyway.” He walked to the table in front of the seating area and placed down the rifles. “Come over here and sit for a moment, I want to talk before we open fire.”

  Alex listened to his teacher who for the last three years grew more and more like a father figure to him. This wasn’t the first meeting they had outside of regular classroom hours, and probably wouldn’t be the last. They had discussed everything from sports to old literature and writings, but never before today, had they met on the firing range.

  “Some of the other instructors tell me you are quite the shot. Top shot for the last few years here, and favorite for the up and coming games.”

  With a slight chuckle Alex responded to the praise. “Is that what they say? I just have always applied what I’ve learned in the classroom to the field as best I can.”

  “That is the best approach to it all,” Mr. Tillery looked at the young man and saw a little bit of that same sureness he had when he was Alex’s age. “Have you thought about what you would do after you graduate later this year Alex? The Oath you’d take and upholding it?”

  “Yes I have. Actually, every time I am back home my father and I talk about it. I just hope I can live up to it as best I can and serve my hometown and eventually the congress. I feel every person should at some point enter into some sort of public service. It has kept the peace for so long and I think people are starting to truly appreciate the culture that our two countries have formed together.”

  “Well, I’m glad you feel that everyone should take some sort of public service in their life, and I’m glad that you are so animate on upholding your oath. If nothing else I teach you remember this, as strong as one’s hope is, it doesn’t sway what fate has planned.” Mr. Tillery said methodically.

  “I will remember that sir. Now, I hope you are ready for a challenge out here today on the range, because I have been waiting for such a nice day such as this to do nothing but sit outside and fire. But since it’s not an open fire day, I was disappointed.” Alex said with a smile.

  “I told the range master it was special tutelage, and he had no problem. You know what kind of gun nut he is. I mean he thinks all people should have a weapon instead of those who have a hunting permit. There hasn’t been a public safety threat in two hundred years, why on earth does everyone need one?”

  “Well sir, I’m not so sure about the politics, even though one day I hope to be part of the congress, but for now I’m just glad we are able to talk and fire a few rounds.”

  “Load up Ehlinger, I have a nice little target course ready for you.”

  After loading
his rifle, Alex lay in the prone position waiting for the targets to set. The horn sounded for live fire signaling everyone to stay clear of the range, but Alex couldn’t find any viable target. Waiting another long moment, he finally asked his instructor the question.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Tillery. But wh-”

  “Where are the targets?” Tillery assumed the prone position as well and looked down his rifle; Alex watched and checked his sights again as well. “You see that target to the right? 1250 yards down range, just above the fifty five gallon Jug?”

  Alex looked again and adjusted his scope. “Now I can, is that the only one?”

  “Yep, that is all. Go ahead and take the shot.”

  “But that’s further than anything I’ve ever shot before.”

  “Well if you doubt yourself before ever taking the shot, how do you expect to make it?”

  Alex let the thought sink in quickly before he adjusted himself and squeezing the trigger. He missed well short and took a deep sigh after the shot.

  “If you’re ever alone, in battle and have to take a shot this far and miss it, leave the rifle. It is replaceable, your life isn’t. Remember that. Now I know you can hit that target, and I’ll stay out here as long as it will take for you to hit it.”

  Alex stood up for a moment and looked at his target with a fresh view. Getting into position he aligned his shot once again. He took a few deep breaths and slowly, steadily, squeezed the trigger as he exhaled. He didn’t feel the recoil of the rifle while he continued to watch through his scope, watching the bullet quickly hit its target, a jug of blue liquid, and the splash that it kicked into the air with the impact. He smiled and looked over at Mr. Tillery.

  “That’s a great shot Alex. Perfect that time around. Now you just need to make it on the first go around. Hopefully, you’ll never have to take a shot like that in a hostile environment. But if you do, remember, that rifle is replaceable your life is not. If you miss, become a ghost, leave the rifle load your side arm and run, and you’ll never be found. They won’t be able to find where you shot from and make it there if you do not linger. Also never shoot twice from the same spot if you can help it. You’ll live longer out there.”